Preview: Whitecaps FC vs. Seattle Sounders Women

May 15, 201310:58 AM PDT

Brandon Timko

This coming Friday, May 17, Vancouver Whitecaps FC continue their rivalry against Seattle Sounders Women with a specially organized match at Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila, Washington. Kickoff will be at 7:30 p.m. PT.

The ‘Caps roster will be mainly comprised of players from the club’s U-18 Girls Elite roster, who have been flying high over the past year.

In March, the Girls Elite team captured the Metro Women’s Soccer League (MWSL) Cup title in their first year in the league, playing much elder competition throughout the season. Currently, the team have started their Pacific Coast Soccer League (PCSL) Premier Women’s season with two wins from their first two matches.

The team will be coach by Whitecaps FC Girls Elite assistant coach Ruben Casablanca, as head coach Jesse Symons is currently in Morgantown, West Virginia assisting with the EXCELeration Canadian youth national team camp. Also away at the EXCEL camp is Girls Elite midfielder Emma Fletcher.

Joining the team for this match will be Whitecaps FC women’s alums Natalie Boyd, Kirsteen Buchan, Kylle Cook and Jaclyn Sawicki. All four players will represent Canada at this summer’s 2013 Summer Universiade games in Kazan, Russia. The group will also have former Canadian women's national team goalkeeper and current Whitecaps FC Girls Elite goalkeeper coach Taryn Swiatek on the roster.

Ten Girls Elite players on the roster have also represented Canada at the youth international level. Kathryn Baker, Summer Clarke, Jasmin Dhanda, Vanessa Kovacs, Jasmine Mander, Julia McDonald and Aman Shergill have played for the U-17 national team, while Simmrin Dhaliwal, Samantha Donald and Rachel Jones have played for the U-15 national team.

Whitecaps FC roster

19 M - Alessia Azermadhi

2 D - Kathryn Baker

3 M - Natalie Boyd

25 F - Kirsteen Buchan

4 F - Summer Clarke

16 D - Kelly Cook

21 M - Simmrin Dhaliwal

14 M - Sam Donald

11 M- Jasmin Dhanda

7 M - Sam Dion

24 F - Chelsea Harkins

28 M - Reetu Johal

27 D - Rachel Jones

12 M - Vanessa Kovacs

10 M - Jasmine Mander

1 GK - Julia McDonald

6 M - Jaclyn Sawicki

13 D - Aman Shergill

15 F - Sessen Stevens

18 D - Nicole Stewart

30 GK - Taryn Swiatek

SEATTLE SOUNDERS WOMEN

The Sounders will be using Friday’s match as their final tune-up before beginning their United Soccer Leagues (USL) W-League season at home to LA Strikers on Monday, May 27.

During their preseason preparations, the Sounders have so far accumulated a record of 2W-1L-1D.

There will be many familiar faces to ‘Caps fans on the Seattle side. The Sounders are led by former Whitecaps FC women’s head coach Hubert Busby Jr., who guided Vancouver to back-to-back W-League Final Four berths in 2010 and 2011.